Making Bouchees

To make pastry shells (bouchées), you will need two round pastry cutters: one 3½ or 4 inches in diameter, fluted if possible; the other 2 to 2½ inches in diameter and plain. Cut out rounds of pastry with the larger (fluted) cutter, and then use the smaller (plain) cutter to cut out the centers of half of the rounds to form rings. (Use the centers for another purpose.) The rings are placed on top of the solid rounds to form a border.